A stranger in the mirror By Loren Treisman Nov. 1996

Our innocence is stolen,
Caged up and screaming,
Yet the scream fades,
Until gradually it can no longer be heard,
But it’s still there,
In the vast library,
Contributing to your being.

Albums, exerts, photographic evidence,
Go beyond the surface,
And there lies a contribution,
Stored but never restored,
Its being in the unattainable distance.
The teddy you never parted,
Left in the loft of some unfamiliar house,
Once your home, the place you cherished.

Letting go so gradually, the transition unnoticed,
You awake one morning, in the mirror a stranger.
Nostalgic situations enhance the scene,
Unreal, trapped in the fields of time.
Where’s the little girl, a smile on her face?
Does she still exist?

Stimulated banks trigger positive feedback,
And suddenly it all floods out,
Every joy, lesson. Advancement and feeling,
The thought of the moment, yet the angle so twisted.
You run through the fields, but arrive no closer,
You set out for your destination too late,
Once reality existing only in fiction,
Yet no novel incorporates the tale from all aspects.

Treasures now decomposed waste,
Your once greatest gifts, now your worst enemies,
Your depth now shallow,
Your past fears your pleasures,
Your daunting plans accomplished,
Or dismissed, no longer recalled,
Dependent on your once unknown,
The useless shadows your valued gems.

Expectations transformed beyond recognition,
And soon, the gems disintegrate,
The treasures migrate to the opposite end of the field,
The unattainable distance.
The cupboard is closed, the dust gathers,
Locked, forgotten, wasting away,
Until one morning you remember,
Look in the mirror and see a stranger.

Normality By Loren Treisman

What is normal? I’m sure as hell not,
Who dictates exactly what’s what?
Why is it that in the world today,
People think there’s just one right way?
Society wants us to all be the same,
Well respected, keep up its good name,
The perfect student, parent and wife,
With a perfect home and a perfect life,
To look like a model, skinny and tall,
But is this normality after all?

Do you know one person who has this line of thought?
Who’s never complained, never fought,
Never gone wild, disagreed,
Been a saint, not over partied,
A persons’ mind is so very vast,
Built on experiences from the past,
The dreams we have while we sleep,
Start to show that our minds are deep,
So no two people can fully agree,
They interpret one moment too differently.

What is one person’s lone is another one’s hate,
One person’s boredom, another’s innermost state,
Different music, opinions, beliefs and fashion,
None right or wrong yet causing such passion,
War is caused by this individuality,
Why can’t we open our minds and see,
That our differences are our greatest gift,
A route to achievement, a spiritual uplift,
If everyone saw that normality is fiction,
There wouldn’t be so much contradiction.

We mustn’t strive to be something we don’t want to be,
We must accept that you’re you and that I’m me,
And use this constructively to find the world’s bliss,
At the moment few people concentrate on this,
Be odd, think deeply, it’s fun being bizarre,
Be sensible, be crazy, just be who you are,
Few people show their true inside,
Most people are taking us for a ride,
You are great, don’t question why,
Just be yourself, it’s easy if you try.

Open Your Mind By Loren Treisman 1996

Open your mind, reach inside, so many people are only skin deep,
Think beyond logic, defy reason, beyond consciousness you must leap,
A spiritual mind holds the secrets of life, beyond the surface there’s so much to see,
Yet too many people dismiss these thoughts, follow the masses narrow mindedly,

Science and humans leave so much unexplained,
The world’s greatest mysteries through centuries have remained,
Too many caught up in technology and class,
Progressing only materialistically as time flies past,
Following the masses, never quite themselves,
Don’t find their ultimate happiness studying books on shelves.

Doing only as society dictates,
Confused yet denying it, feel it’s a normal state,
Magazines and television enforcing life’s meaning,
Isn’t it our spirit we should be redeeming?

In order to achieve our uttermost goals,
We need look no further than our souls,
Never dismiss anyone, be them different or the same,
Each has their valid view, their opinion still holds claim.
Even shallow people still have a spiritual side,
It’s all just hidden deep inside.

It’s always easier to be the norm,
follow fashions, always conform,
But by searching inside, new paths follow,
We’ll find the route to a better tomorrow.
Alternative views, answers and questions,
Spiritual and philosophical suggestions,
Medicine, freedom, hope and life,
Seen in a different light, one free from strife.

Release your brain dead pretentious ways,
Reach out into a different phase,
And your life can reach a new dimension,
Endless possibilities, needless to mention,
Be susceptible to your surroundings,
Except unusual, mysterious findings.

I’ve reached happiness from within,
Not simply through sex, drugs and partying,
Through accepting the mind as an endless knowledge quest,
Always growing, though never in contest,
An individual satisfaction beyond simplicity,
Seeing the world in all its diversity,

Believing in yourself, opening the mind,
Learning through each experience, not leaving it behind.
And so for the sceptics, before it’s too late,
See the world beyond its simple state,
Challenge your minds, it’s up to you,
Free yourselves, it’s all you have to do.

Racism By Loren Treisman

It’s human nature to want to fight,
Who gave us the power, the ultimate right,
In the time of creation, we were put in this place,
All created equal, regardless of race,
Yet racism has caused so many tears,
Persecution hasn’t stopped through the years,
No matter what colour, religion or creed,
Why do people hate? Is there really a need?
We’re all the same, what counts is inside,
So put your predjudism aside,
Why should difference change our views?
No two people are identical, it’s what makes you, you.

Six million Jews were killed in one war,
Just for their beliefs and nothing more,
Each day there are murders due to colours of skin,
How can we find this cruelty within?
I cannot possibly understand a mind,
That cannot leave this hate behind,
Ignorance is the cause for this hate,
The reason the world is in a state,

Religion causes more war than anything else,
The deaths could be prevented if we looked at ourselves,
Who likes suffering, hurt and pain?
It can be avoided if you use your brain.
Racism’s for idiots with no feeling,
Stupidity is all they’re revealing,
They use their twisted view to cause world-wide disaster,
From the start of history and for many years after.
Yet racist movements increase each day,
People converting and seeing their way.

By other peoples cultures, there’s so much to gain,
So take the chance and kill the pain,
Look in your hearts, find it in your soul,
To work towards the world’s main goal,
Of peace love and happiness for all,
Equality and harmony is in call,
Together as one, large strong nation,
We can change the world for the next generation,
Make colour and belief irrelevant to them,
A new open - minded path for men.